Background notes
Cana was a town in Galilee near Nazareth. Jesus’ family were probably close to the bridegroom in some way as they had some responsibility for the food and wine provided. Providing ample food and wine was a matter of honour for the host. It is possible that the bridegroom was a Levite, because these 6 large vessels of stone were used for ‘the Jewish rites of purification’. They were carved from a single block of stone, so were expensive. Some have been discovered in a quarry near Cana in Galilee. They were made using special lathes brought in by the Romans. Stone is nonporous so it was considered as a ritually pure material (i.e. could be reused). Levite families were scattered throughout Israel in certain towns (Cana was one of them). Levite men would travel in to Jerusalem maybe once a year to perform priestly duties, and prior to entering the temple they had to carry out purification rites. In addition, if they came into contact with a dead body or anything unclean they would have to wash their entire body. Levites had various roles in the temple, including musical performances, gatekeeping and assisting the priests with sacrifices and rituals.
So what was so special about Jesus turning water into wine? Probably the most popular explanation is related to the reference to Jewish purification rituals (2:6). The water rite of purification represented the temporary washing of Jewish ritual before participating in worship. Even in the Old Testament, it was recognised that the shedding of blood was needed for atonement, an act that was performed once a year by the High Priest on the day of Atonement. Jewish families were also required to make sacrifices, particularly on certain occasions such as the Passover. The Passover festival ensured that Jews always remembered the sacrifice of the lamb that preceded their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. But in John’s gospel the wine represents the blood sacrifice that Jesus was going to make as a once and for all ‘propitiation for our sin’. (1 John 2:2. ESV He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. NIV He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world).
Some see a reference to the first plague on the Egyptians before their release. In Exodus 7 we read that the rivers and lakes were turned into blood, which was a warning to Pharaoh of the terrible consequences that would follow if he didn’t obey God. John describes this miracle as the ‘first sign’ which seems to highlight its significance in giving an insight into Jesus’ death. However, unlike Exodus this was not a publically declared message and the significance of what Jesus had done was probably not appreciated until after his death.
A further possible reference is to the prophecy of Isaiah 25, which talks about a messianic banquet with aged wine and eternal life. This puts the emphasis on the better quality of the ‘new wine’ and the abundance of what Jesus was offering. Although this is an attractive theory, it doesn’t explain the reference to Jewish purification rites.
So why did John choose it as one of seven special signs? This was the start of Jesus’ ministry, and it seems to have been a ‘private’ sign that was known only to Jesus’ family, the servants and the disciples. The disciples responded in faith, and that response to Jesus was in itself a sign of the new kingdom breaking in.
Jerusalem during Passover.
Temple reconstruction https://youtu.be/v0yqZJBUEHk?si=-G0Do5vCDIzYruRS
Jerusalem’s temple was still in the process of being rebuilt and enlarged by King Herod in a massive building project started by his father Herod the Great. Many faithful Jews were unhappy that the temple had been built by a man with so much blood on his hands and someone who was far from a godly Jew. He was also a close collaborator with their Roman oppressors. Not only that, but the ancient Aaronic line of high priests had been replaced a couple of hundred years earlier by political appointments, and now the whole temple was being ruled by a group called the Sadducees who were rather deficient in their faith and more interested in keeping the Romans happy. When the Temple was rebuilt, the Romans had been allowed to build a large fortress (the Antonia Fortress) overlooking the Temple and with a dedicated passage into it. Herod had also been allowed to build a palace right next door with access to the temple. Neither of these things were acceptable to devout Jews. Jerusalem itself was quite compact, sustaining no more than about 60,000 people most of the year. There were some very wealthy people who lived there – which would have been starkly in contrast with the poor background that Jesus had come from. The enlarged Temple grounds were surrounded with extensive porticos which is where the wheeling and dealing would have taken place. Passover was a 7 day Jewish festival to which every Jewish male was expected to attend every year – each family was required to bring a ‘lamb without blemish’ to be slaughtered on the eve of Passover. Jews from other countries would have needed to change money in order to buy the animals for sacrifice. The population of Jerusalem would swell to around 2 million for the festival, with most people staying outside of the city proper. Just imagine the noise of the animals and the numbers of lambs being slaughtered. Later in the gospel John will tell us that Jesus died on the cross just as these lambs were being slaughtered across the city.
Even though the new Temple was regarded as one of the wonders of the world, it was doomed to be totally destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, an event foretold by Jesus. There had been a series of small revolts which had already led to some reprisals, and when the rebellion was supported by temple officials the writing was on the wall. In the Old Testament, the Temple was the place that God and man would meet (in the Holy of Holies) and it was where the annual Atonement sacrifice would take place. So, the whole idea of absolution of sins through sacrifice was centred on the existence of the temple and the High Priest. Just imagine how Jews must have felt when they lost the Temple, the priestly system and the sacrificial system in one fell swoop! Jesus here shows them that he is now where God is meeting man and so his presence replaces the Temple. And of course his words are prophetic, looking forward to his death and resurrection. In this Gospel John is respectful of his Jewish tradition, and he is careful to point out how Jesus interacted with religious authorities, observed Jewish feasts and had zeal for God’s Temple – but he also shows how he had authority over all of them. It was not a matter of denigrating the value of these institutions but showing how they were being replaced with something much better.
The Cleansing in the Temple – John vs. the Synoptic Gospels
Mk 11:15-17, Matt 21:12-13, Lk 19:45-46. The synoptic gospels place the clearing of the Temple at the end of Jesus’ ministry (during Holy Week) rather than at the beginning of his ministry as suggested by the gospel of John. The gospel of John records at least three Passover visits to Jerusalem, and it is clear that he depicts Jesus as fulfilling his Jewish obligations to attend the temple during this important festival. There is evidence from rabbinic sources that the trading of animals had been brought into the temple by Caiaphas around that time and that other rabbis had expressed major concerns about the way in which sacrifices were being offered in the Temple. It is quite possible that Jesus may have protested at the temple on two or more occasions, but if it happened in the outer porticos Jesus may have done this on an earlier occasion without having come to the attention of the temple officials. He would not have been the only Jew who was very unhappy with the Temple at that time. In the Synoptic gospels his protest definitely did cause significant disruption and resulted in the chief priests starting to plot his death. This sort of action during the Passover also risked attracting the attention of the Roman garrison, who would have been on red alert for acts of ‘zealotry’ during the annual Passover festival when their forces were greatly outnumbered by the number of pilgrims.
Jesus’ comment ‘destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’ (John 2:19) is interpreted by John as referring to his own death and resurrection. In the synoptics it is quoted as evidence against Jesus in his trial before the high priest (Mark 14:58).
Jesus’ attitude towards the Temple in Jerusalem was complex and multifaceted. Here are some aspects of His attitude:
1. Respect and reverence: Jesus taught in the Temple (Matthew 26:55, Mark 12:35, Luke 2:46) and attended festivals there (John 2:13, 5:1, 7:10).
2. Criticism of corruption: Jesus condemned the commercialisation and corruption in the Temple, driving out the money changers and merchants (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46, John 2:14-16).
3. Prediction of destruction: Jesus foretold the destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-6), which occurred in 70 AD.
4. Replacement by Himself: Jesus implied that He would replace the Temple as the centre of worship and God’s presence (John 2:19-21, 4:21-24).